My Favorite Unlicense Shoujo and Josei Manga of 2013

This seems like a pointless list for me to make because most of the unlicensed manga I love I make into Crimson Flower projects. So I thought I’d talk about some of those and a few titles that are on my radar. I’m limiting this list to shoujo and josei since the only non-shoujo/josei title I bought was “Kerberos in the Silver Rain”. All right, so lets get on with it!

“Hanaibara” — An illustrator, Hassuku Yanase, moves into a country house his eccentric grandfather left to him. Living in the house are an erotic fiction writer, Soyogo Muro, and his younger sister, Kanako Muro, who he uses as his model for his works. Yanase decides to be the illustrator for Soyogo’s latest work. (Okay, technically this is seinen since it ran in Avarus).

“Today’s Weather is Akane” — Akane promises to marry Shu when he returns from abroad. Akane is expected to continue on her father’s traditional Japanese restaurant, but when Shu returns, he wants to open a Western style restaurant instead. Meanwhile, Akane’s father bought Natsuhiko, who is ALWAYS irritable, into the family business for the obvious reason… heh-heh… It’s a typical historical shoujo love triangle, but it’s very done well while keeping the drama to a minimum. This is a wonderful easygoing short series that I hope CF will bring to you all in 2014.

Honorable Mentions:

“Anniversary” bu Yu Uemori

“Bread and Butter” by Hinako Ashihara

“Princess Ledahlia” by You Higuri

Favorite Oneshots of 2013 (Translated this year)

“Boushi no Ue no Oka” by Nao Tsukiji

“Puzzle” by Morie Satoshi

“Tosagare Renren” by Nari Kusakawa

“Blushing Boy MacArthur” by Lammy Uchimiya

“Kutsunashihime” by Akanatsu

The most fun project I worked on this year — “Lovely Vampire Weddings”. The artwork was too lovely and the stories were infectiously sweet.

I know many of your have the chance to read a lot more unlicensed titles that I did, so please share some of the glorious finds on you favorite list.